Puzzle postcard

ABSTRACT

A puzzle postcard including a tray member having a peripheral upstanding wall for containing a puzzle, a plastic envelope shrunk fit around the puzzle in the tray to securely hold it therein, and a postcard adhesively secured to the plastic envelope on the rear of the tray.

United States Patent Tatar [451 July 18, 1972 [54] PUZZLE POSTCARD 2,427,318 9/1947 Warren .273/157 R ux 3,192,681 7/1965 Greenbaum. "206/78 B X [72] Invent Frank Lakevew 3,127,993 4/1964 Phipps ..206/78 B [73] Assignee: Comon Tatar Inc., Buffalo, NY.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: May 6, 1970 1,302,689 7/ 1962 France ..229/92.8 [21] App1.No.: 35,096

Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle 52 U.S. c1. ..206/46 AM, 229/928, 273/157 R Attorney-Semen Weber & Gastel [51] Int. Cl. ..A63f 9/10 [58] Field of Search ..273/l57 R; 206/46 AM, 78 B; ABSTRACT 229/92'8 A purzle postcard including a tray member having a peripheral upstanding wall for-containing a puzzle, a plastic [56] References Cited envelope shrunk fit around the puzzle in the tray to securely UNITED STATES PATENTS hold it therein, and a postcard adhesively secured to the plastic envelope on the rear of the tray. 3,495,833 2/1970 Wesley ..273/157 R 950,951 3/1910 Peckham ..273/l57 R 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,399

INVENTOK FRANK J. TATAR 2 .5. Z M49 wkaae ATTORNEYS PUZZLE POSTCARD The present invention relates to a puzzle postcard construction.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a postcard in the nature of a puzzle which can be sent through the mails. A related object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle postcard in which the puzzle is securely mounted within a tray so that it will remain assembled in transit and will clearly show the picture which appears thereon. A further related object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle postcard which can be fabricated simply and easily in a highly efficient manner. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.

The puzzle postcard of the present invention comprises a tray member having a front face and a rear face, a puzzle mounted on said front face, securing means for securing said puule onto said front face, and card means on said rear face of said tray member for carrying a message.

The present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled puzzle postcard and showing primarily the front thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing primarily the rear of the puzzle postcard;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

H0. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

F IG. 5 is an exploded view showing the manner in which the components are oriented relative to each other.

The puzzle postcard of the present invention includes a tray member 11 of generally rectangular form having a bottom 12 with a front face 13 and a rear face 14. Tray 11 also has upstanding side edges 15 and 16 extending throughout the length thereof and merging with upstanding ends 17 and 18. The upstanding sides l5 and 16 and ends 17 and 18 define an upstanding peripheral edge portion which confines the assembled puz'zle 19 therein.

Puzzle 19 is fabricated from separate interlocking pieces 20 which comprise a picture 21 of an object which is adhesively secured to a cardboard backing 22 which is thereafter diecut into the configuration shown in FIG. 1. The bottom 12 of tray 11 is preferably of the same thickness as the cardboard backing 22 and the upstanding peripheral portions 15, 16, 17 and 18 are of the same thickness as the bottom of the tray. Preferably tray 11 is fabricated from plastic which may either be molded polystyrene or polyethylene. It can also be fabricated from wood, cardboard or any other suitable paper. The tray and the cardboard pieces are preferably of a thickness of 0.070 inches so as to provide the desired rigidity to the object so that it can be handled conveniently during mailing without being destroyed and which will still be light enough so as to be mailed at a reasonably low postage fee.

After the puzzle pieces have been assembled into the tray, the tray is wrapped with a plastic sheet 23 which forms an envelope or wrapping. Sheet 23 includes an upper portion 24 which is folded over to lie above lower portion 25 with a connecting edge portion 26 therebetween. After the folding of sheet 23, the portion which will lie adjacent to upstanding edge 18 is heat-sealed at seam 27 so as to provide a closed edge adjacent edge 18. Thereafter the tray 12 with the puzzle 20 therein is inserted into the envelope thus formed. The portions of the envelope which are still open are heat-sealed at seams 28 and 29 to completely enclose the tray. It will be appreciated that the sheet 23 is larger than the tray and that during the heat-sealing of seams 27, 28 and 29, the excess plastic sheeting outside of the seams is cut away. The plastic sheeting which is used is known under the registered trademark CRYOVAC and is a transparent thermoplastic wrapping and packaging material. This material is heat-shrinkable. Thus, after the foregoing sealing has been effected, the assembly is heated at about 300 F. to cause the plastic sheeting 23 to shrink tightly about the tray 12 containing the puzzle to produce a very firm tight package to positively confine the puzzle within the tray.

After the foregoing wrapping procedure has been completed, the postcard 30 is adhesively secured to the plastic sheeting 25 on the rear face of the tray. It will be seen that the postcard 30 includes a space 31 for address, a space 32 for a stamp, and a space 33 for a message. The postcard 30 has a peripheral dimension which is equal to the peripheral dimension of the tray so that neither one extends beyond the other.

It will thus be appreciated that the puzzle postcard can be sent through the mail and that the securing means consisting of the envelope and the tray will maintain the puzzle in assembled condition in transit so that the picture on the puzzle can be viewed like a normal picture postcard. After the postcard is received by the addressee, the plastic envelope can be broken and the puzzle can be removed from the tray. It can therefore be assembled in the tray or out of the tray, and it can be stored in the tray when not in use.

While the tray has been shown in a specific preferred form, it will be appreciated that it can assume other forms such as a substantially planar member without a peripheral edge such as depicted in the drawings.

What is claimed is:

l. A puzzle postcard comprising a tray having a front surface and a rear surface and a plurality of peripheral edges, a puzzle having a front surface and a rear surface with said rear surface of said puzzle mounted on said front surface of said tray, a transparent wrapping comprising a plastic envelope of heat-shrunk material which is shrunk into tight engagement with said puzzle and said tray, said plastic envelope completely enclosing said tray and said puzzle and having a first portion extending across said front surface of said puzzle and a second portion extending over said edges and a third portion extending across said rear surface of said tray and providing a completely flat surface on said rear-surface of said tray, and a postcard adhesively secured onsaid third portion of said envelope on said rear surface of said tray and lying completely outside of said envelope, said flat surface provided by said third portion of said envelope on said rear surface of said tray permitting said postcard to be firmly supported in flat condition by said rear surface of said tray.

2. A puzzle postcard as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tray is fabricated of molded plastic and wherein said edges comprise upstanding sides formed integrally with said tray to confine said puzzle on said tray.

3. A puzzle postcard as set forth in claim 2 wherein said envelope includes a plurality of heat-sealed seams lying substantially along said edges so as not to obstruct said puzzle and so as to permit said third portion to remain flat to receive said postcard.

4. A puzzle postcard as set forth in claim 1 wherein said envelope includes a plurality of heat-sealed seams lying substantially along said edges so as not to obstruct said puzzle and so as to permit said third portion to remain flat to receive said postcard.

l i i i ll 

1. A puzzle postcard comprising a tray having a front surface and a rear surface and a plurality of peripheral edges, a puzzle having a front surface and a rear surface with said rear surface of said puzzle mounted on said front surface of said tray, a transparent wrapping comprising a plastic envelope of heat-shrunk material which is shrunk into tight engagement with said puzzle and said tray, said plastic envelope completely enclosing said tray and said puzzle and having a first portion extending across said front surface of said puzzle and a second portion extending over said edges and a third portion extending across said rear surface of said tray and providing a completely flat surface on said rear surface of said tray, and a postcard adhesively secured on said third portion of said envelope on said rear surface of said tray and lying completely outside of said envelope, said flat surface provided by said third portion of said envelope on said rear surface of said tray permitting said postcard to be firmly supported in flat condition by said rear surface of said tray.
 2. A puzzle postcard as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tray is fabricated of molded plastic and wherein said edges comprise upstanding sides formed integrally with said tray to confine said puzzle on said tray.
 3. A puzzle postcard as set forth in claim 2 wherein said envelope includes a plurality of heat-sealed seams lying substantially along said edges so as not to obstruct said puzzle and so as to permit said third portion to remain flat to receive said postcard.
 4. A puzzle postcard as set forth in claim 1 wherein said envelope includes a plurality of heat-sealed seams lying substantially along said edges so as not to obstruct said puzzle and so as to permit said third portion to remain flat to receive said postcard. 